{"id":2513,"date":"2009-08-31T13:20:00","date_gmt":"2009-08-31T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/?p=2513"},"modified":"2009-08-31T13:20:00","modified_gmt":"2009-08-31T20:20:00","slug":"the-flight-of-the-pelican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=2513","title":{"rendered":"The Flight of the Pelican"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i>A title inspired by a recent viewing of Jimmy Stewart and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Flight_of_the_Phoenix\">The Flight of the Phoenix<\/a> . . . a photographic tribute inspired by one of my favorite birds: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/brown_pelican\/id\">Brown Pelican<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"The Pelican Runway by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/3072756211\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3178\/3072756211_786f25a49b.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican in Flight\" width=\"680\" align=\"alignleft\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brown Pelican on Takeoff &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>California Brown Pelican Recovery<\/h3>\n<p>The Brown Pelican is not quite a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phoenix_(mythology)\">Phoenix<\/a>, raising itself from metaphorical ashes. But it has mythological parallels in the Bay Area, having recovered and arisen from near destruction more than once:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the late 19th century, plume hunters nearly wiped out pelicans and egrets, killing them for decorative feathers used in fashion hats.<\/li>\n<li>During World War I, over-fishing of sardines critically reduced this food source for the birds. Pelicans were further slaughtered by the thousands by fishermen.<\/li>\n<li>In the 1960s, persistent DDT in the food chain nearly decimated the last breeding pelicans off Southern California. And today, only an estimated 8000 breeding pairs remain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can read a detailed history of pelican struggle and survival in the IBRRC&#8217;s article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibrrc.org\/pelican_history.html\">In Harm&#8217;s Way<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Given the travails pelicans have faced for more than 100 years, I find it near miraculous to see hundreds off them fishing off the beach &#8212; as Hugh and I witnessed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2009\/08\/a-mackerel-sky\/\">a few nights ago<\/a> at Fort Funston. Their pterodactyl sihouettes are emblems of our natural past, almost anachronisms against the modern shadows of industrial cranes and skyscrapers. Their presence is, at once, a reminder of life&#8217;s restorative power and also its fragility.<\/p>\n<p>At its simplest, pelicans are just awesome. Here are a few images I&#8217;ve snapped of Brown Pelicans in action around California.<\/p>\n<p><i><b>Related posts on pelicans: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2009\/10\/sunday-in-the-park-with-pelicans\/\">Sunday in the Park With Pelicans<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/06\/up-on-the-roof\/\">Up on the Roof<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/2010\/04\/mixed-use-pelican-style\/\">Mixed Use, Pelican Style<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<h4>Brown Pelicans at Redondo Harbor<\/h4>\n<p>Stretching and preening, these Brown Pelicans at Redondo Harbor in Southern California have an expansive seawall for lounging:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Pelicans - Redondo Beach by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/2423790673\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3040\/2423790673_aac845f042_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pelicans - Redondo Beach\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Preening Pelicans &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>A Pelican and Her Gull<\/h4>\n<p>In this photo, a juvenile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Heermanns_Gull\/id\">Heermann&#8217;s Gull<\/a> swims alongside a Brown Pelican we watched fish near Point Arena in Mendocino County. Gulls like Heermann&#8217;s are known to scoot alongside the pelicans and actually swipe fish from the pelican&#8217;s pouch as the pelican drains the water. As we watched these two, they shared more of a symbiosis. The pelican almost seemed to be offering up her stores to the young gull who swam alongside throughout the fishing expedition. (I&#8217;ll grant you &#8212; that&#8217;s some anthropomorphizing on my part.)<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"A Pelican and Her Gull by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/3661324392\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3545\/3661324392_a18cdaa54f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican and Heermann's Gull\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Pelican and Her Gull &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2645\" style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2645\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2645\" title=\"gulls turf\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf.jpg\" alt=\"Juvenile Gull Defending Its Pelican Turf - \u00a9ingridtaylar\" width=\"680\" height=\"522\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf-200x154.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf-400x307.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf-600x461.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/gulls-turf.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juvenile Gull Defending Its Pelican Turf &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Brown Pelican &amp; Meals<\/h4>\n<p>Brown Pelicans fish by plunge-diving into the surf . . . sometimes from flight:<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Brown Pelican on San Francisco Bay by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/3073577482\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3038\/3073577482_a7c73680c0_b.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican on San Francisco Bay\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brown Pelican in Flight &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Pelican ingesting its meal:<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Pelican Mid-Snack by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/3661654569\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3360\/3661654569_81e1b6d639_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pelican Mid-Snack\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brown Pelican Mid-Snack &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I called this &#8220;The One That Got Away.&#8221; You can see the fish that leaped from the mess of seaweed in the pelican&#8217;s maw. (Click photo for larger size at Flickr.)<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Brown Pelican &amp; Missed Opportunity by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/2997960873\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3291\/2997960873_c27943f704_b.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican &amp; Missed Opportunity\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fish Escapes Pelican Meal &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And . . . the ones who didn&#8217;t get away:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6292\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6292\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6292\" title=\"pelicanfish\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican Fishing\" width=\"660\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish-200x149.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish-400x299.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish-600x448.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelicanfish.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pelican Fishing &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Pelicans and Cormorants<\/h4>\n<p>Pelicans hanging out with Cormorants off the shores of Tiburon in Marin County. In most areas where we find Brown Pelicans roosting around Northern California, we also find multitudes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Double-Crested_Cormorant\/id\">Double-crested Cormorants<\/a> &#8212; sometimes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Pelagic_Cormorant\/id\">Pelagic<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/guide\/Brandts_Cormorant\/id \">Brandt&#8217;s Cormorants<\/a> off the ocean coasts.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a title=\"Pelicans and Cormorants Off Tiburon by ingridtaylar, on Flickr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taylar\/3161165547\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3078\/3161165547_5ff88ba304_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pelicans and Cormorants Off Tiburon\" width=\"680\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pelican and Cormorant Party &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n<h4>Waiting for Handouts<\/h4>\n<p>A somewhat-habituated Brown Pelican awaits the arrival of fishing boats, in anticipation of freebies.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2644\" style=\"width: 690px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2644\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2644\" title=\"pelican 680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefreequark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680.jpg\" alt=\"Brown Pelican on Dock - \u00a9ingridtaylar\" width=\"680\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680-200x150.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/pelican-680.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2644\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brown Pelican on Dock &#8211; \u00a9ingridtaylar<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A title inspired by a recent viewing of Jimmy Stewart and The Flight of the Phoenix . . . a photographic tribute inspired by one of my favorite birds: the Brown Pelican. California Brown Pelican Recovery The Brown Pelican is not quite a Phoenix, raising itself from metaphorical ashes. But it has mythological parallels in the Bay Area, having recovered and arisen from near destruction more than once: In the late 19th century, plume hunters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/?p=2513\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[297],"class_list":["post-2513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-pelicans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ingridtaylar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}